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Hi All,

I'm trying to get my Slaves to Darkness to become viable after several crushing defeats. It seems one of the best ways to do this will be to give them all the Mark of Tzeentch and take the Tzeentch allegiance for the rules, command traits and artefacts. In regards to models I own, I have:

2x Start Collecting Slaves to Darkness
16x Warriors of Chaos (40 in total)
2x Soul Grinders
30x Pink Horros
3x Herald on Disc
3x Burning Chariot
10x Tzaangors
1x Archaon on horse
10x Chaos Chosen

I really want to use Archaon (on horse) with the aim of using fate dice to get a double 6 to wound roll on the Slayer of Kings. I'd like to take a Herald on Disc as general with the Nexus of Fate (I think that's the correct Command Ability - to roll a dice each turn to potentially swap a fate dice for a 1 or 6) to improve the chances of this.

Does anyone have any idea what sort of list I could put together to get the best use of this at 1000 (or 1500) points? I'm happy to buy some Chaos Marauders for cheaper battleline units, or some Blue/Brimstone horrors for splitting or cheaper units. If Tzaangors are the way to go then I could consider this, but I'd like to stay as close to Slaves to Darkness as I can.

Thanks in advance!

Below is the list I played for 1000 pts, but it was 100% Tzeentch Daemons. I never lost a game out 6 games with this list.

Lord of Change
Herald of Tzeentch

2x 10-Pink Horrors
1x 20-Blue Horrors
1x 10-Brimstone Horrors

Exalted Flamer on a Burning Chariot

First of all, if you are gonna play Archaon, you will need to support him with more heroes with a command ability. The double 6 idea is sweet, but that command ability is really what makes him ticking.
Archaon @ 1000 pts will be dificult as he is point heavy and you do not own many heroes with a command ability so that his goes to waste. Any list with a mortal wound output or is heavy on shooting will deal with the one threat (one because we are talking 1000 pts) quite easy in one of the first turns. If you want to play him anyway, be sure to take one of your sorcerers to give him the re-roll of ones and let him cast mystic shield for some more protection. But at that point 50% of your army will already be those 2 heroes...
At 1500-2500 he will be great but at 1000, personally I would not take him.

On the other hand , seeing your collection I cannot see why you are getting crushed @ 1000 pts.

What were your lists/tactics that you played so far?

And what kind of lists/tactics are your opponents playing?

Without an idea of what exactly is happening it is hard to help...

Archaon on "horse"back is only 360 pts (maybe 320? don't have my GHB on me). Still pretty hefty, but worth it IMO.

 EnTyme wrote:
Archaon on "horse"back is only 360 pts (maybe 320? don't have my GHB on me). Still pretty hefty, but worth it IMO.

Yes I agree it, but not at 1000 pts in this collection of miniatures.

Yeah, I just want to use him because he is a cool model, but as you've mentioned, there's a high chance of him being shot off the table turn 1.

The list I used in my last game (1500) was:

Be'lakor
Daemon Prince of Nurgle
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh
2x 10 Chaos Warrios
1x 10 Chaos Knights
2x 1 Gorebeast Chariot

In that game I learnt that Chaos Knights are useless and definitely not worth the cost, as were the Daemon Princes for the most part. Be'lakor was pretty good, but he's the only model that really did anything in that game (against Destruction @ 1500, mix of Savage, Ironjawz and Beastclaw). I was holding the warriors back to hold an objective so they didn't really get stuck in.

The game prior to that (which was 1000 points) was something like a sorcerer, a chariot, 5 knights and 1 unit of 20 warriors. I was against Death (with Mannfred and a Terrorghesit) and he destroyed literally everything.

I'm still trying to get to grips with the army. For the most part, I'm trying to avoid any Chaos god specific models (bar all the daemons I already own) just so I have the flexibility of trying different themes.

In my experience so far I've found knights to work pretty well. All depends on how you use them. Also, keep in mind your battle line troops are called battle line for a reason. At least half of those warriors if not all should have been up front not in back. Arm them with a 1 hander and their shields and keep Mystic Shield cast on them and they'll hold the line for a bit. Grab a cheap unit or two of blood warriors or reavers to hold objectives. Be'lakor is great in the times I've used him. Remember he has 2 casts per hero phase and also be sure to make use of his "Dark Master" abiliity. Any reason why running 10 knights in one unit? In 2 x 5 they'd have more utility. Also 2 units of them at 1000 is def a bit cost heavy.

Do you know what you'll be facing next?

For 1000 I'd maybe try something like...

Be'Lakor 240
Daemon Prince 160
Exalted Deathbringer (general) 80
Chaos Warriors 2 x 10 360
Gorebeast Chariot 100
Chaos Spawn 60
-----------
1000

March the warrs right at his main lines, Prince and Death bringer back up/enforce the lines. Be'lakor flying around smashing whatever is needed and casting buffs. Chaos Spawn running around with Chariot picking off stragglers/tying up more important units. Spawn will hopefully add a bit of extra punch to the chariot as sometimes they can be lacking. So you'll have solid foot troops, plus some mobility with chariot/spawn and flyers with the DP and Be'lakor.

Worth a shot.

I am actually doing a 1000 pt battle with my group next time. Just got some of the guys from the AoS boxset and gonna give some of them a try, along with adding in some ranged to see how they do, so my list is a bit diff.

Be'Lakor
Exalted Deathrbinger (leader)
Blood Secrator
Blood Warriors 2 x 5
Khorgorath
Warplock Jezzails 2 x 3

Some stuff for you to read:
https://aos-tactics.com
https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Age_of_Sigmar/Tactics

Seeing the armies you face you need some more advanced armylist setup.

Your models are all good units, but what you miss is a punchline. Some really heavy hitters. No worries though that can be countered with the stuff you are playing just make sure you know that that is a weakness and don't just move up to

Try to think consistency. What are you facing, and how are you going to do something about it.

Something like the terrorgheist manfred thing, I would try to keep it at bay with a list that has summoning pts, summon some flamers and blow the hell out of that terrorgheist, finish it with a charge of some knights with glaives. Be sure to have a second unit of knights waiting in support for the turn after if something goes wrong.

Ask your opponents armylist and keep it at hand. It is a good way to keep track on how many pts he has invested in something.

Try to divide your opponents army, and try to keep your army together. If you can face 600 pts of his with 1000 pts of yours and you get to choose were to strike first, you are gonna get out on top.

Like the terrorgheist is something around 400 pts. Almost anything it touches and attacks first is going to be very dead, so be sure to attack it first with a hard hitting unit. Like 5 knights with Glaives (always give knights glaives and always be sure they are the one that charge and hit first).maybe Charge in a second unit like a chariot so that the terrorgheist needs to retaliate on that unit and not on the knights.

Slaves to darkness is about well timed attacks, and refraining from just going forward with everything, getting charged and wiped out. Your units are expensive and in AOS any unit can be gone after one charge or shooting face. You lack shooting yourself which is your weakness. This can be solved with adding tzeentch though.

At 1000 pts I usually play (rather competitively without going cheese)
5 knights with glaives
5 knights with glaives
10 warriors
1 chaos lord on foot
1 (socerer)Lord on manticore (either one)
Godsworn champions of ruin
All mark of slaanesh for run and charge. This is a strong, fast and hardhitting list that should be played guerilla style.

At 1500 more tzeentchy (what you are trying to do):

Depending on your houserules this is a format where you need 3 battleline. A lot of clubs limit this to 2. if to put the horrors in reserve pts

put the herald,and flamers in reserves (or put one unit of flamers already on the board)
Proxy warriors as marauders, Proxy a prince as the LoC. and playtest.

take all your summonable stuff just in case.

Be sure to read the links above there is an article on how to use summoning effectively.

This list will give serious trouble to both lists you have faced but mostly requires good positioning and shooting the right targets. Weakening him down and then mop up.
At 2000 pts add in more heavy hitters (like the knights) they will be a tremendous help, or even a ruinbringer warband next to a LOC and summon pts.


Allegiance: Chaos
Leaders
Herald Of Tzeentch On Disc (120)
- Staff of Change
Lord Of Change (300)
- General
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (140)
- Runestaff
Units
10 x Pink Horrors Of Tzeentch (140)
3 x Flamers Of Tzeentch (200)
3 x Flamers Of Tzeentch (200)
10 x Chaos Marauders (60)
- Axes
- Mark of Chaos : Tzeentch
10 x Chaos Marauders (60)
- Axes
- Mark of Chaos : Tzeentch
5 x Chaos Knights (200)
- glaives
- Mark of Chaos : Tzeentch
1 x Chaos Chariots (80)
- Greatblades
Total: 1500/1500
Leaders: 3/6
Battlelines: 4 (3+)
Behemoths: 1/4
Artillery: 0/4